Carer's Allowance
Key information
Carer's Allowance is money for people who care for
someone who has a disability.
Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland
Age rules: You must be over 16
Type of benefit: Non
means tested (but you mustn't earn over £100 per week)
Taxable: Yes
Administered by: Disability and Carers
Service.
Index
You can read through this information sheet, or go directly to
the sections you want to read by clicking on these links:
Who does it help?
You can get Carer's Allowance if you care for someone for at
least 35 hours a week. The person you care for must be getting a
benefit because of their disability, for example, Attendance Allowance, the middle or high rate
care component of Disability Living Allowance or either
level of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment . You do
not need to be living with the person you are caring for.
If you are in paid work, you might still be able to get Carer's
Allowance but you must not earn more than £100 in take home
pay each week. It does not matter if you have savings as these
will not be taken into account.
You do not have to have paid any national insurance
contributions to get Carer's Allowance.
You do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance if you are in full-time
education.
Before you make a claim for Carer's Allowance, you should check
with the person you are caring for, as it may affect some of the
benefits they receive if you are successful, such as losing a
severe disability premium.
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What help does it provide?
Carer's Allowance is money that you can spend as you want.
It is usually paid into your bank or building society
account. You can be paid at a post office in some cases. It
is paid as long as you care for the person.
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How much does it pay?
The weekly rate is £59.75.
In some cases, you may meet the conditions for both Carer's
Allowance and another benefit, such as State Retirement Pension, contributory
Employment and Support Allowance or the
guarantee credit part of Pension
Credit. As these benefits 'overlap' your Carer's Allowance
may be reduced or you may not receive a payment even though you
would if it weren't for the other benefit you receive.
The rules about this are complicated and you may need to get
advice about this from an expert benefits adviser. If in doubt, you
should make a claim for Carer's Allowance, as this might also allow
you to get an extra amount, called a carer's premium, as part
of other benefits.
Carer's premiums can be added to or taken into account for:
If you receive Carer's Allowance you also qualify for a
Christmas Bonus each year. This is usually £10. You do not
need to make a claim for the bonus it is paid automatically. It
does not affect any other benefits you might get.
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How do I make a claim?
Online Claim
Claim online at
the Department for Work and Pensions website (link opens in a new
window)
Paper Claim
Phone the Carer’s Allowance Unit for a claim form:
Telephone: 0845 6084321
Textphone: 0845 6045312
Phone the Benefit Enquiry Line for a claim form:
Telephone: 0800 88 22 00
Textphone: 0800 24 33 55
Download a claim form
from the Gov.UK website (link opens in a new window)
In Northern Ireland
Phone the Benefit Enquiry Line for a claim form:
Telephone: 0800 22 06 74
Textphone: 0800 24 37 87
Phone the Disability and Carer’s Service for a claim form:
Telephone: 028 9090 6186
Textphone: 0800 24 37 87
If you are waiting to hear if the person you care for is getting
a qualifying disability benefit, you should still make a claim.
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What documents will I need?
You must give your national insurance number and evidence of who
you are, for example, a driving licence or birth certificate.
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Can it be backdated?
Carers Allowance can be backdated for up to three months if you
would have been entitled to it earlier. It does not matter why your
claim is late. Request this when claiming.
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Challenging decisions
If you disagree with the decision made on your benefit claim you
can ask for a written statement of reasons. If you still believe
the decision is wrong, for example due to incorrect information
being used, you can ask for it to be looked at again, and/or
appeal.
The time limits are strict, you will usually be given one
month to dispute a decision, so it is important to seek advice and
act quickly.
Further information on Challenges and
complaints
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Change of circumstance
You must report changes in your circumstances
which might affect your entitlement to this benefit
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Last updated: 8 April 2013
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